Build My SaaS: 4 Decisions to Make Before You Book a Call, and What Fits in $3,460

Why decisions come before features

A SaaS MVP is the smallest version of your software that a customer can sign up for, use for one real job and pay for every month. It isn't a demo or a clickable mockup. It's live software with real accounts and real billing. Every SaaS feature depends on a business choice. Seat billing needs team accounts. Usage billing needs metering. Team accounts need roles and invites. When those choices stay open during the build, scope moves, and so does the date. When they're made first, the build is a straight line.

Decision 1: who pays, and for what

Write one sentence: "This type of customer pays monthly to do this one job." If you can't write that sentence yet, you're not ready to build. You're still validating. Our free app idea validator is a good place to test it first. Some examples:

• "Independent physiotherapists pay monthly to send home exercise plans to patients."
• "Small recruitment firms pay monthly to track candidates through one hiring pipeline."
• "Wedding photographers pay monthly to deliver galleries and collect final payments."

Decision 2: your pricing model

Pick one model for v1. Each one changes what has to be built. Our SaaS MVP page states it plainly: "Stripe subscriptions, trial periods, and plan upgrades are in the MVP scope." So a flat plan or simple tiers, with a free trial, fit the fixed price. Not sure what to charge? The SaaS metrics calculator helps you test a few price points against your costs. The four models:

• Flat monthly plan. One price, one plan. The fastest to build and the easiest to change later.
• Tiers. Two or three plans with feature limits. More logic and more screens, but still standard.
• Per seat. Each seat is a user inside a customer account. That needs team accounts, which puts you in multi-tenant territory.
• Usage based. You meter what each customer uses and report it to Stripe. Plan for this to be discussed on the call.

Decision 3: single user or team accounts

Ask yourself one question. Does one person sign up and get value alone, or does the product only work once colleagues are inside it? Many B2B products can launch with one user per account, then add teams once paying customers ask for them. If yours truly needs teams on day one, say so on the call so the quote covers it from the start.

• Single user works: a freelancer's invoicing tool, a coach's client tracker, a solo practitioner's booking page. Start here.
• Teams are essential: a shared sales pipeline, an approval workflow between a manager and staff, a support inbox for a whole team.

Decision 4: the one workflow that matters

Every SaaS has a core loop. A user puts something in, the product does its job, and the user gets a result back. Pick that loop and nothing else. Here's a quick test. Picture the screen your customer opens every morning. That screen, plus what it takes to sign up and pay, is your v1. Reports, integrations, exports and extra settings pages are where SaaS scope creeps in. Write them down, then park them for version two. Stuck between two workflows? Book a free call and bring your sentence from decision 1. We'll help you pick the one that earns the first subscription.

What fits in $3,460 for a SaaS

Three parts of the fixed price matter most to a SaaS founder. Each line uses the wording from our SaaS MVP development page. You get a fixed quote before we start. Design is included, you see progress every week, and you get 2 weeks of post-launch bug fixes.

• Billing. What's included at Fixed at $3,460: Stripe subscription billing, with trial periods and plan upgrades.
• Accounts and data. What's included at Fixed at $3,460: Supabase backend (PostgreSQL + Auth + RLS).
• Ownership. What's included at Fixed at $3,460: 100% of the code, on your GitHub.

Where a SaaS idea goes past the fixed price

Our MVP Development page lists what gets a custom quote: "Marketplaces, AI features, HIPAA/fintech compliance, admin dashboards, multi-tenant SaaS." None of these is a dead end. You get a fixed quote before we start, whatever the scope. But many of them can wait until paying users ask for them. Your four decisions tell you early whether you're heading there:

• Per seat pricing or team accounts (decisions 2 and 3) usually mean multi-tenant SaaS.
• Customers paying each other through your product means a marketplace.
• Health or financial data brings compliance work.
• AI in the core workflow (decision 4) is an AI feature.

Example: one SaaS idea, two scopes

Take a scheduling and billing tool for tutors. It's an illustration, not a client project. Same product, different decisions. The first launches in about 20 days and starts taking subscriptions. The second is a solid roadmap once you have paying tutors. For more on how individual features affect a budget, see our feature cost guides.

• Decisions that keep it at the fixed price. Who pays: independent tutors pay monthly to fill their week with bookings. Pricing: one flat monthly plan through Stripe, with a free trial. Accounts: one tutor per account. Workflow: the tutor sets availability, students get a booking link and pick a slot, both get an email confirmation.
• Decisions that move it to a custom quote. Who pays: tutoring agencies with many tutors. Pricing: per tutor seat. Accounts: agency teams with roles (multi-tenant SaaS). Workflow: students pay tutors through the platform and you take a fee (marketplace), plus AI lesson summaries (AI feature).

If you already built a prototype with AI

If you already built a prototype with AI, the job is different. It may work in a demo while billing, permissions or data security aren't ready for real customers. We audit the code, then tell you whether to harden it or rebuild it. See our AI prototype to production service for how that works, or browse our SaaS and web development articles.

How much does it cost to build my SaaS MVP?

A focused subscription SaaS v1 is Fixed at $3,460. That includes Stripe subscription billing, a Supabase backend with auth and your code on your GitHub. Marketplaces, AI features, HIPAA/fintech compliance, admin dashboards and multi-tenant SaaS get a custom quote. Either way, you get a fixed quote before we start.

How long does it take to build a SaaS MVP?

About 20 days. Making the four decisions in this guide before the build starts is the best way to keep your scope stable and your launch date on track.

Can I offer a free trial in my SaaS MVP?

Yes. Stripe subscriptions, trial periods and plan upgrades are in the MVP scope at the fixed price.

Do I own the code of my SaaS?

Yes. You own 100% of the code, on your GitHub. You can hire any developer later, keep working with us through continuous support, or take it in house.

Can I build a SaaS MVP without a technical cofounder?

Yes. You bring the customer, the problem and the pricing decision. We turn that into a scope, build it and show you progress every week, so you always know what you're paying for. Got your four answers? Book a call and get your fixed quote.